Machine for preparing artificial manures



March '7, 19335. E. M. FOIROT MACHINE FOR PREPARING ARTIFICIAL MANURES Original Filed Oct. 25, 1929 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE M. POIROT, OF POIROT FARMS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR CAIPPER, TRUSTEE, OF KANSAS MACHINE FOR PREPARING ARTIFICIAL MANURES Original application filed October 25, 1929, Serial N 0. 402,530. Divided and this application filed November 4, 1930. Serial No. 493,424.

This invention relates to a machine for T preparing artificial manures from waste organic materials such as straw, leaves, etc.

The present application constitutes a d1v1- 5 sion of my pending application Serial No. 402,530, filed October 25, 1929, for means for and method of preparing artificial manures. It has heretofore been proposed to cause decomposition of such material by mixlng therewith certain chemical reagents which tend to promote bacterial action. In prior methods it has been customary to build up a pile or compost heap by spreading a layer of organic material, sprinkling upon this 1 the chemical reagent in powdered form, thoroughly wetting such layer and then repeating the process. This method is troublesome and tedious, and moreover the chem1- cal reagents are not uniformly distributed throughout the organic material and are likely to be washed off by the applied water.

I have discovered that the chemical reagents can be much more intimately and thoroughly mixed with the organic material such as straw by applying the same directly to the stream of straw as it comes from a threshing machine. More specifically, I have found that the best the powdered chemical reagents into the fan housing of such stacker. I have further discovered that depositing the mixture of straw and chemicals in an open pile, in a loose tangled mass, and permitting such pile to be acted on by ordinary rainfall, is much superior to wetting of the straw artificially during the building up of the pile.

In order that the invention and one means for carrying it out may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a threshing machine and pneumatic stacker, parts being shown in section and parts being broken away; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation on 0 a smaller scale of the same parts, but looking results are obtained by the use of a pneumatic stacker and by feeding "stacker. From in a direction at right angles to that of Figure 1.

I do not confine myself to the use of any particular chemical reagents, but I have found in practice that excellentresults can be obtained by using a mixture of ammonium sulphate 45 percent, finely ground lime stone 40 percent, and acid phosphate 15 percent. The exact proportions of these ingredients may be varied to some extent and also other materials may or may not be added. I have further found that these chemicals are very effective in promoting bacterial action and decomposition when applied in the proportlon of 150 pounds of chemicals to the ton of air dry straw.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 designates a portion of a threshlng machine of the usual type equipped with a pneumatic stacker comprising a feed chute 2, a fan housing 3, a fan 4, anda discharge pipe 5. 'The fan is driven by means of a belt 7 passing over a pulley 6 secured to the fan shaft.

11 apparatus for carrying out my improved method of mixing the chemical reagents with' the straw, which is disclosed in the aforementioned pending application, comprises a hopper 8 which may be conveniently secured to and supported by the threshing machlne, this hopper being positioned at a point above the level of the fan housing of the the bottom of the hopper extends a delivery pipe 9 in a downwardly inclined direction to the side of the fan housing. 85

The hopper preferably has inclined walls as shown and is provided at its bottom with a rotary distributing or feeding device shown as a toothed disk 10. The special form of this disk constitutes no part of my invention, and it may be of any desired or suitable construction. I have found in practice that a feeding device of the type employed in fertilizer distributors is eminently satisfactory. A guard plate 18 having at its edge an adjustable cut-oif 19 is preferably employed in connection with the rotary disk 10, as is the usual practice in fertilizer distributors.

The disk 10 is rotated by means of a beveled gear 11 disposed underneath the bottom of 100 the hopper and meshing with a beveled pinion 12 carried by a horizontal shaft 13 on which is also mounted a pulley' 14. This pulley is driven by means of a belt 15 from a pulley 16 on one of the shafts of the thresher, shown in the drawings as the straw rack shaft 17.

In operation the above described or other suitable chemical reagents in powdered form are placed in the hopper 8 and, during the running of the thresher, are fed at a uniform rate by the dispensing device 10 through the pipe 9 into the fan housing 3. The straw from the thresher is of course also drawn into and through this fan housing and thus becomes intimately mixed and impregnated with the powdered chemicals.

The straw. thus mixed with the chemical reagents, is blown out through the discharge pipe 5 in the usual way. and delivered at the free end of such pipe into a stack or pile.

In the stacking of straw by means of a pneumatic stacker of the usual tvpe, it is the common practice to deliver the straw onto the center of the pile or stack and thus build up the stack in such a wav that the center is always higher than the edges. This results in the straw being deposited in lavers which droop or slope from the center downwardlv toward the edges of the stack. As is well known. a stack erected in this way sheds water quite well. and the inner portions of such a stack frequently remain dry even after prolonged exposure to the weather.

For the purpose of inducing decomposition. and conversion of the straw into manure. however. it is desirable t at the stack or pile should be so constructed that t will not shed water. but that the rain falling thereon will be absorbed and will erm ate into and completel through the p le. One way of producing this result is to deliver the straw in s ch a manner as to build up the pile around the edges. leav ng it with a flat or even hollow top. which will catch and hold the rain. In addit on. I find. tha b chan ing the angle of the deliver end of the dischar e pout and'drivin th straw into the s des f the pi e. rat er than de ositing it on top. it is poss b e to cause the straw to accumulate in an interwoven. tangled mass in which the maioritv of ind vidual straws do not droop or slope downwardly and outwardly, so as to form a water shed. but on the contrary are so arranged that water falling on the pile readilv permeates through and soaks the same. In carrying out this method. a preliminary wall or ridge of straw is first built up by delivering the straw in the usual manner from above, and then the discharge pipe is shifted to a substantially horizontal position. and the straw delivered against the side of such wall, as above mentioned. Subsequently, the preliminary wall of straw can be opened up with a pitch tion and bacterial action, fostered by the chemical reagents present, take place rapidly,

and the whole mass is quickly converted into manure.

In locations or seasons which are exceptionally dry it may sometimes be desirable to wet the pile artificially as by spraying or sprinkling with a hose or the like, but in any event, better results are obtained by piling the dry straw in a tangled mass in the manner described, and then applying water after the pile is complete, rather than by wetting the straw progressively during the piling operation as carried out in the usual way.

A part of the foregoing, including a discussion of the chemicals employed, is contained in Bulletin No. 258, of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Missouri, issued November, 1927.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a thresher having a pneumatic stacker including a fan housmg, of a hopper supported at a point above said fan housing, a feeding device for powdered material at the bottom of said hopper, means driven by said thresher for operating said feeding device, and a downwardly inclined pipe extending from said feeding device into said fan housing.

2. The combination with a pneumatic straw stacker having a fan housing, of reservoir means for initially receiving a dry powdered material, and mechanical means associated with said reservoir for feeding dry powdered material from said reservoir means into said fan housing, and common drive means for said stacker and said mechanical means for feeding dry powdered material.

3. The combination with athresher having a pneumatic stacker unit including a fan housing and a discharge pipe leading therefrom, of a reservoir hopper supported by said thresher for holding a supply of dry material, a feeding device in connection with said hopper for discharging powdered material from-said hopper, a delivery pipe extending from said feeding device to'said stacker unit, and drive means for said feeding device driven by the mechanism which drives the stacker.

4. The combination with a threshing machine, of a pneumatic straw stacker having a fan housing, reservoir means for receiving and holding a supply of powdered material to be introduced into the straw, said reservoir means having two main openings, one constituting a receiving opening and the other constituting a discharge opening, said receiving opening being accessible only to the exterior of the threshing machine and said stacker, and a pipe leading from said discharge opening to said fan housing and providing ported communication between said reservoir and said fan housing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EUGENE M. POIROT. 

